Oxford donor offers up to $50m

The technology guru James Martin has offered to match every donation to Oxford University for the next year – up to a maximum of $50m.

He says he hopes his pledge will enable research into the impact of technology on society, and encourage others to keep giving despite the recession.

The businessman is already the University’s biggest donor in modern times. In 2005 he donated $100m to found Oxford’s James Martin 21st Century School.

Martin’s latest contribution will go towards the target of £1.25 billion which Oxford has set itself in its latest fundraising campaign, Oxford Thinking. If successful, the scheme will be the most lucrative in European history.